It's your privilege, and you're entitled to every cent of that sale.
March 11, 2015 4:33 PM Subscribe
Selling your extra dental insurance because you only visit your dentist once a year instead than twice? Either you or your dentist is committing fraud.
posted by francesca too at 4:57 PM on March 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by francesca too at 4:57 PM on March 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I like all this talk about privilege, it's a good way to feel kind of neutrally bad about yourself while never doing anything about it. It's not like you can give it up or hand it to somebody else. I suppose you could wear a turban or whatever and have cabs not stop for you but then what does that achieve? Give up your spot in line at the post office, or schlep the parcel to Alabama yourself on foot? Stop getting haircuts? Pretending to feel shitty about being biologically/environmentally lucky is kind of a lame thing to do, probably best to just donate or do charitable works or awareness and keep your mouth shut. I dunno.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:59 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:59 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
Selling your extra dental insurance because you only visit your dentist once a year instead than twice? Either you or your dentist is committing fraud.
Yep.
posted by Aizkolari at 5:10 PM on March 11, 2015
Yep.
posted by Aizkolari at 5:10 PM on March 11, 2015
Those all just sound like straightforwardly good ideas. $10 for lunch in the Google cafeteria is probably a good deal, etc. The hard part is actually getting in touch with people, which maybe the app would make easier. This could easily be a real thing. Not sure I understand why it's a joke.
ETA: Except for the dentist thing, yeah.
posted by officer_fred at 5:10 PM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
ETA: Except for the dentist thing, yeah.
posted by officer_fred at 5:10 PM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
privilege, it's a good way to feel kind of neutrally bad about yourself while never doing anything about it.
Some people want to beat themselves up, but I think that's doing it wrong. Privilege can and should be enjoyed, which first requires being aware of it. (The only exceptions of course is abusing privilege in aggressive non-zero-sum adversarial situations. Don't do that.) If privileged, our moral obligation is not to get rid of our privilege but instead to help pave the way for others to gain it, so that more of society can become able to enjoy what we already have.
Eg. The suffrage movement didn't make the world a better place by removing the vote from men, they made it a better place by extending the vote to women. (The USA unfortunately seems to have stalled on the path towards universal suffrage since then, but that's another topic)
Before suffrage, if you were a man enjoying the privilege of voting, you ought to 1. use your vote, 2. help others who currently lack the vote to gain that privilege. You don't beat yourself up about being able to vote, or chose to not vote out of some sense of solidarity for those who couldn't.
posted by anonymisc at 5:28 PM on March 11, 2015 [13 favorites]
Some people want to beat themselves up, but I think that's doing it wrong. Privilege can and should be enjoyed, which first requires being aware of it. (The only exceptions of course is abusing privilege in aggressive non-zero-sum adversarial situations. Don't do that.) If privileged, our moral obligation is not to get rid of our privilege but instead to help pave the way for others to gain it, so that more of society can become able to enjoy what we already have.
Eg. The suffrage movement didn't make the world a better place by removing the vote from men, they made it a better place by extending the vote to women. (The USA unfortunately seems to have stalled on the path towards universal suffrage since then, but that's another topic)
Before suffrage, if you were a man enjoying the privilege of voting, you ought to 1. use your vote, 2. help others who currently lack the vote to gain that privilege. You don't beat yourself up about being able to vote, or chose to not vote out of some sense of solidarity for those who couldn't.
posted by anonymisc at 5:28 PM on March 11, 2015 [13 favorites]
[by "non-zero-sum" I meant "zero-sum". Edit window closed too soon..,]
posted by anonymisc at 5:34 PM on March 11, 2015
posted by anonymisc at 5:34 PM on March 11, 2015
Privilege can and should be enjoyed, which first requires being aware of it.
It's lovely here in the year 2!
posted by flabdablet at 5:43 PM on March 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's lovely here in the year 2!
posted by flabdablet at 5:43 PM on March 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
I didn't ask my AskMe question this week. It's yours for 5 Doge.
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:49 PM on March 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:49 PM on March 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
I thought this was fucking hilarious.
posted by rtha at 6:21 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by rtha at 6:21 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
I like all this talk about privilege, it's a good way to feel kind of neutrally bad about yourself while never doing anything about it.
My first reaction was to tell you that that's ridiculous and nobody thinks that privilege is something to feel bad about.
But you know what? I'd be lying. I have seen people try to shame others for their privilege.
Those people are wrong, though. It's not something to be ashamed of. It's something you should be aware of, and try not to perpetuate.
In whatever spheres you're privileged in, you should make an extra effort to listen rather than talking. You should question assumptions, challenge biases, and use whatever social capital you have to point out inequities.
So I am abled. I don't feel bad about that. Once, I worked for a company and discovered systemic ableist hiring policies. Their job description forms all came with a bunch of pre-checked physical qualifications, and when I unchecked some where they weren't necessary, HR informed me that they were mandatory for all positions. So I used what little influence I had there to fight it. That took some time, and causing trouble affected my professional reputation, but I don't regret using a little of my privilege to make things better.
Similarly, when I've encountered sexism in the workplace, sometimes it's been helpful when a male coworker backs me up, simply because as a woman, sometimes tech bros dismiss what I tell them. Those guys take a hit to their reputations, too.
But when you have a decent amount of unearned authority or respect or access, you can leverage some of it to make things better for everyone. It's only when you don't do that that you should feel guilty.
posted by ernielundquist at 6:54 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
My first reaction was to tell you that that's ridiculous and nobody thinks that privilege is something to feel bad about.
But you know what? I'd be lying. I have seen people try to shame others for their privilege.
Those people are wrong, though. It's not something to be ashamed of. It's something you should be aware of, and try not to perpetuate.
In whatever spheres you're privileged in, you should make an extra effort to listen rather than talking. You should question assumptions, challenge biases, and use whatever social capital you have to point out inequities.
So I am abled. I don't feel bad about that. Once, I worked for a company and discovered systemic ableist hiring policies. Their job description forms all came with a bunch of pre-checked physical qualifications, and when I unchecked some where they weren't necessary, HR informed me that they were mandatory for all positions. So I used what little influence I had there to fight it. That took some time, and causing trouble affected my professional reputation, but I don't regret using a little of my privilege to make things better.
Similarly, when I've encountered sexism in the workplace, sometimes it's been helpful when a male coworker backs me up, simply because as a woman, sometimes tech bros dismiss what I tell them. Those guys take a hit to their reputations, too.
But when you have a decent amount of unearned authority or respect or access, you can leverage some of it to make things better for everyone. It's only when you don't do that that you should feel guilty.
posted by ernielundquist at 6:54 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
This is quite a useful idea but if I may make a suggestion which may avoid the fraud aspect.
This channeling this supply of surplus resources which we all have throughTrade Exchanges aka Barter Exchanges.
posted by Amicus1961 at 6:55 PM on March 11, 2015
This channeling this supply of surplus resources which we all have throughTrade Exchanges aka Barter Exchanges.
posted by Amicus1961 at 6:55 PM on March 11, 2015
This is some dark satire. I didn't think it was that subtle, but judging from the comments here I guess it was.
posted by Anonymous at 7:16 PM on March 11, 2015
posted by Anonymous at 7:16 PM on March 11, 2015
Yeah living in the bay area makes this almost over the top blunt, and then I read the comments here. "Our business plan is that venture capitalists will give us money, because this is San Francisco and we have an idea!" was the best line.
Those all just sound like straightforwardly good ideas. $10 for lunch in the Google cafeteria is probably a good deal, etc. The hard part is actually getting in touch with people, which maybe the app would make easier. This could easily be a real thing. Not sure I understand why it's a joke.
I guess there truly is no such thing as a free lunch. Welcome to the Sharing Economy™
posted by bradbane at 7:54 PM on March 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Those all just sound like straightforwardly good ideas. $10 for lunch in the Google cafeteria is probably a good deal, etc. The hard part is actually getting in touch with people, which maybe the app would make easier. This could easily be a real thing. Not sure I understand why it's a joke.
I guess there truly is no such thing as a free lunch. Welcome to the Sharing Economy™
posted by bradbane at 7:54 PM on March 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Not sure I understand why it's a joke.
Exploiting marginalized people -- literally charging them extra for access to mainstream norms, like dental care or lunch -- is, you know, not actually using one's privilege to level the playing field. As much as many privileged people would like to believe otherwise.
posted by jaguar at 9:23 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
Exploiting marginalized people -- literally charging them extra for access to mainstream norms, like dental care or lunch -- is, you know, not actually using one's privilege to level the playing field. As much as many privileged people would like to believe otherwise.
posted by jaguar at 9:23 PM on March 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
Ok, shit, I just laughed way too hard at the last joke in the video (asian guy hails cab for black man). That totally put this way over the top for both funny and an indictment of society. Well done.
posted by daq at 9:41 PM on March 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by daq at 9:41 PM on March 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
Yeah I thiught this was an excellent commentary on the "sharing economy", more so than on privlege. But I suppose they go hand in hand. You need to have a a home to rent a room on Airbnb, etc.
posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 11:35 PM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 11:35 PM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
But I suppose they go hand in hand. You need to have a a home to rent a room on Airbnb, etc.
I think a lot of people enter (or are forced) into the "sharing economy" as a means to shore up a lack of privilege on one of their hands by using some of the privilege of their other hand. A way to average out some of your intersectionality (which is what we all try to do, with or without the sharing economy, but clearly a lot of people wouldn't choose to have people living in their homes, or to be living in someone else's home, if other factors weren't in play)
But yeah, I agree. The sharing economy is already the trading of unused privilege, that's partly why the video nails it so well.
posted by anonymisc at 12:12 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think a lot of people enter (or are forced) into the "sharing economy" as a means to shore up a lack of privilege on one of their hands by using some of the privilege of their other hand. A way to average out some of your intersectionality (which is what we all try to do, with or without the sharing economy, but clearly a lot of people wouldn't choose to have people living in their homes, or to be living in someone else's home, if other factors weren't in play)
But yeah, I agree. The sharing economy is already the trading of unused privilege, that's partly why the video nails it so well.
posted by anonymisc at 12:12 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Definitely a well done video. I didn't notice the racial element of the cab thing at the end. Ouch.
It is interesting that many people to feel ashamed (and are shamed) in these conversations about privilege. I love my privileges! I'm writing this write now on my fancy laptop in my pajamas at home before I head to my office to work on my PhD which I'm paid to do in Germany, which was easy for me to travel to as a Canadian. Weeee!
This video does a good job of highlighting the contradiction at the bottom of this. I have this big invisible knapsack, and others don't, and that's the way of things. To respect the problematic nature of this fact, I should make the best use of what I've been given, and try to balance things out where I can. Selling to others what I get for free would not be the right way to do that.
posted by Alex404 at 2:00 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
It is interesting that many people to feel ashamed (and are shamed) in these conversations about privilege. I love my privileges! I'm writing this write now on my fancy laptop in my pajamas at home before I head to my office to work on my PhD which I'm paid to do in Germany, which was easy for me to travel to as a Canadian. Weeee!
This video does a good job of highlighting the contradiction at the bottom of this. I have this big invisible knapsack, and others don't, and that's the way of things. To respect the problematic nature of this fact, I should make the best use of what I've been given, and try to balance things out where I can. Selling to others what I get for free would not be the right way to do that.
posted by Alex404 at 2:00 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not at all surprised that the video was shot in San Francisco using young male techies.
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 8:11 AM on March 12, 2015
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 8:11 AM on March 12, 2015
I saw this presented at Comedy Hack Night. The team was made up of 2 women and 1 man of color. It was poking fun at all the privileges straight/cis/white/guys get that others don't, as well as the tendency for startups to want to try and monetize/appify every last thing to death.
posted by divabat at 12:29 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by divabat at 12:29 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I struggle with my recognition of privilege. I know I get an easier time of things because i'm a white male, and yet the idea that I should compete on a level with everyone else terrifies me; i'm certain I would be worse off.
I like the suffrage analogy, but it's not perfect. In the workplace there aren't infinite jobs available to all those that deserve them. There is competition, and in a level playing field there would be more women and non whites in positions of seniority.
I'm not saying I like the fact I'm scared of competition; I think it's necessary for society to "grow up". I'm just acknowledging the weird, cowardly dichotomy in my head.
posted by trif at 2:56 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I like the suffrage analogy, but it's not perfect. In the workplace there aren't infinite jobs available to all those that deserve them. There is competition, and in a level playing field there would be more women and non whites in positions of seniority.
I'm not saying I like the fact I'm scared of competition; I think it's necessary for society to "grow up". I'm just acknowledging the weird, cowardly dichotomy in my head.
posted by trif at 2:56 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
is it nasty to say that one's struggle with one's privilege is the ultimate in first world problems? So much so that all I can really do is laugh at its mere mention. Feeling bad about how good you've got it? Fine. Give me some money. And keep giving it until you don't feel bad anymore. I promise you, I won't feel the least bit bad.
posted by philip-random at 9:04 AM on March 13, 2015
posted by philip-random at 9:04 AM on March 13, 2015
trif, I doubt you're all that scared of competition - you wouldn't mind competing on a level playing field when it comes to hailing a cab for instance, or any of the other examples in the video. What you're scared of is the job market, and fair enough - the job market can be terrifying. The thought of the job market becoming more difficult for any reason - recession, getting a criminal record, etc. is frightening, but if you had a button you could press that would magically fix inequality, I think you'd easily find the courage to press it.
posted by anonymisc at 4:38 PM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by anonymisc at 4:38 PM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
in the same style: iNotRacist
posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 9:06 AM on March 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 9:06 AM on March 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
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